Countries › Uruguay › Guide › 8. Immigration › Tax residence by investment and the 2026 impatriate regime in Uruguay: UI 3.5 million property plus 60 days, UI 15 million business routes, DGI certificate and the new Decretos 188/026 and 225/026

Tax residence by investment and the 2026 impatriate regime in Uruguay: UI 3.5 million property plus 60 days, UI 15 million business routes, DGI certificate and the new Decretos 188/026 and 225/026

Argentina. For full detail on Argentina, go to The Argentine Thread.

Last verified: 2026-10-27 · Status: Changing

Uruguay has no golden visa for migration status, but it grants tax residence by investment: real estate above UI 15 million (about US$2.49 million), real estate above UI 3.5 million (about US$581,000) bought from 1 July 2020 plus at least 60 days of presence a year, or business investments above UI 45 million in a promoted project or above UI 15 million that creates 15 new full time jobs. The DGI issues the tax residence certificate free of charge on form 5202; it is the document foreign tax authorities and banks ask for, and it is separate from the immigration residence and identity card. New tax residents from 1 January 2026 may elect the impatriate regime (Title 7 art. 24 BIS) to pay non resident tax on foreign dividends and interest for the arrival year plus ten, with regulations issued on 10 August 2026 (Decreto 188/026) and 16 September 2026 (Decreto 225/026) setting how the property, fund and presence conditions work.

USD figures use UYU 40.210 per US dollar (BCU, DLS. USA BILLETE, 27 October 2026) and UI amounts use UYU 6.6792 per Unidad Indexada (BCU, 27 October 2026), both from the BCU quotations service; UR amounts use UYU 1,940.77 (IMPO value table, September 2026, latest published). Conversions are for orientation only; DNM fees are set in UI and move with the index.

Key facts

Days of presence that create individual tax residence	more than 183 daysT.O. 2023 Title 7 art. 2 A, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Real estate value that alone creates tax residence	15000000 UIDecreto Nº 148/007 art. 5 BIS a), as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Real estate value (bought from 1 July 2020) that creates tax residence with 60 days of presence	3500000 UIDecreto Nº 148/007 art. 5 BIS c), as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Minimum presence days for the UI 3.5 million property route	60 daysDecreto Nº 148/007 art. 5 BIS c), as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Investment in a promoted project that creates tax residence	45000000 UIDecreto Nº 148/007 art. 5 BIS b), as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Business investment with 15 new jobs that creates tax residence	15000000 UIDecreto Nº 148/007 art. 5 BIS d), as of 2026-10-27 · in force
DGI tax residence certificate fee	0 UYUDGI procedure sheet (form 5202), as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Impatriate IRNR option on foreign capital income, years after arrival year	10 yearsT.O. 2023 Title 7 art. 24 BIS (Ley Nº 20.446 art. 648), as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Impatriate regime real estate investment threshold	12500000 UIT.O. 2023 Title 7 art. 24 BIS a); Decreto Nº 148/007 art. 5 SEXIES, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Impatriate regime annual fund capitalization	625000 UIT.O. 2023 Title 7 art. 24 BIS b), as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Post holiday fixed annual IRPF on foreign capital income	1875000 UIT.O. 2023 Title 7 art. 24 BIS ii, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Reduced fixed IRPF with 183 days presence or UI 45 million direct investment	1250000 UIT.O. 2023 Title 7 art. 24 BIS ii, as of 2026-10-27 · in force

The rule

1. An individual is a Uruguayan tax resident if present more than 183 days in a calendar year or if the main nucleus or base of their activities or of their economic or vital interests is in Uruguay; a spouse and dependent minor children living in Uruguay create a rebuttable presumption of vital interests.Texto Ordenado 2023, Title 7 (IRPF), Art. 2, 2006-12-27 official text · verified 2026-10-27

2. Unless the person proves tax residence in another country, the base of economic interests is deemed to be in Uruguay when the person holds in Uruguay: (a) real estate worth more than UI 15,000,000 at updated tax cost; (b) a direct or indirect investment above UI 45,000,000 in a company with activities or projects declared of national interest under Ley 16.906; (c) real estate worth more than UI 3,500,000 acquired from 1 July 2020, with physical presence in Uruguay of at least 60 days in the calendar year; or (d) a direct or indirect investment above UI 15,000,000 in a company, made from 1 July 2020, that creates at least 15 new full time direct jobs during the calendar year. Every day of physical presence counts regardless of the hour of entry or exit; passengers in transit do not count; absences of up to 30 calendar days are sporadic and count as presence unless foreign tax residence is proved with a foreign tax authority certificate. Having the base of activities in Uruguay means earning more income in Uruguay than in any other country, but passive capital income alone does not create it.
Cost to do it: Thresholds at UI 6.6792: UI 15,000,000 about UYU 100,188,000 (US$2,491,619); UI 3,500,000 about UYU 23,377,200 (US$581,378); UI 45,000,000 about UYU 300,564,000 (US$7,474,857).
Example: A buyer of a UYU 25 million home in Carrasco in 2026 (about UI 3,742,963) who spends 75 days a year in Uruguay meets literal c). / About US$621,736 of property plus 60 days of presence secures Uruguayan tax residence, without the 183 day test.Decreto Nº 148/007 (IRPF regulation), art. 5 BIS, literals c) and d) as worded by Decreto Nº 174/020 and Decreto Nº 163/020, Art. 5 BIS, 2020-06-17 official text · verified 2026-10-27

3. The DGI is the authority that issues tax residence certificates. Individuals file form 5202 online or at the DGI (Montevideo, División Administración, 8th floor, or any interior office) with supporting evidence. For the property plus 60 days route, a notarial certificate of the price, acquisition date, origin and the registry numbers and areas of the properties, plus the DNM certificate of migration movements, must be attached; for the promoted project route, the promotion declaration and financial statements; for the jobs route, MTSS work registers and BPS payroll filings. The form data must match the RUT tax registry, and certificates for future periods run at most to the end of the current calendar year. The procedure has no cost.
Cost to do it: Free at the DGI; budget a notarial certificate and the DNM migration movements certificate.DGI guidance on tax residence certificates for individuals; procedure sheet Solicitud de certificado de residencia fiscal, Guidance of 12 December 2023; sheet updated 23 October 2026, 2023-12-12 official text · verified 2026-10-27

4. Impatriate regime: individuals who become Uruguayan tax residents from 1 January 2026 may elect, once, to pay IRNR instead of IRPF on foreign capital income (dividends, interest and related gains from non resident entities, Title 7 art. 6 numeral 2) for the year of change of residence and the following ten years, if they invest in real estate above UI 12,500,000, or capitalize investment funds that finance productive projects, research or innovation by at least UI 625,000 a year, or simply meet the more than 183 day presence test in each year. They must not have been tax resident in the two previous years nor have used the old art. 24 regime. After the eleven years they may elect IRPF at 50 percent of the rate for five years (with the fund condition each year or real estate above UI 6,250,000), or a fixed annual IRPF of UI 1,875,000 on all foreign capital income, reduced to UI 1,250,000 in years with more than 183 days of presence or with a direct investment above UI 45,000,000 to increase a company's productive capacity; the fixed option is annual and available for up to twenty years, and a spouse may join paying 15 percent of the fixed amount.
Cost to do it: Real estate route UI 12,500,000 about US$2,076,349; fund route UI 625,000 a year about US$103,817; fixed tax UI 1,875,000 about US$311,452 or UI 1,250,000 about US$207,635; spouse 15 percent, UI 281,250 or UI 187,500 (about US$46,718 or US$31,145).Texto Ordenado 2023, Title 7, art. 24 BIS added by Ley Nº 20.446 art. 648, Art. 24 BIS, 2025-12-16 official text · verified 2026-10-27 · changed: Ley Nº 20.446 of 16 December 2025 (published 8 January 2026) created art. 24 BIS for residents from 1 January 2026 and closed the old art. 24 option to new elections after 31 December 2025.

5. Regulation of the impatriate regime: for the real estate condition, the UI value of the last day of the month before each investment is used; urban property in departments without a coast on the Río de la Plata or the Atlantic counts at 200 percent of its tax cost; only property acquired from 1 September 2025 counts, and it may be the same property used to establish tax residence under art. 5 BIS. New residents from 1 January 2026 who meet the 183 day test in each year may elect without the investment conditions. A person who stops meeting the conditions may resume the option in years when they are met again, but the ten year period still runs from the election. For the later 50 percent IRPF option the real estate threshold is UI 6,250,000, counting only the excess over property already used for residence or for the first option. The UI 45,000,000 investment for the reduced fixed tax must be a capital contribution made from the election to a company carrying on activities within T.O. 2023 Title 4 (IRAE) art. 12 literal B. Changes to the fixed option by the taxpayer apply equally to the spouse. The DGI sets the filing terms. The older art. 5 QUATER and 5 QUINQUIES options (IRNR for up to ten years with UI 3,500,000 of property and 60 days) could only be elected until 31 December 2025.Decreto Nº 148/007 art. 5 SEXIES and 5 SEPTIES added by Decreto Nº 188/026 and reworded by Decreto Nº 225/026; art. 5 QUATER and 5 QUINQUIES (Decreto Nº 188/026), Art. 5 QUATER, 5 QUINQUIES, 5 SEXIES and 5 SEPTIES, 2026-09-16 official text · verified 2026-10-27 · changed: Decreto Nº 188/026 of 10 August 2026 regulated art. 24 BIS (new art. 5 SEXIES and 5 SEPTIES) and capped the old options at 31 December 2025; Decreto Nº 225/026 of 16 September 2026 reworded the real estate conditions (5 SEXIES numeral 1 and 5 SEPTIES a1).

6. IRNR, which the impatriate election substitutes for IRPF on foreign capital income, applies only to Uruguayan source income, so during the election foreign dividends and interest are in practice outside Uruguayan tax; Uruguayan source income (including salary for work done in Uruguay) remains taxed under the general rules.Texto Ordenado 2023, Title 8 (IRNR) art. 1; Title 7 art. 6, Title 8 art. 1; Title 7 art. 6 numeral 1, 2006-12-27 official text · verified 2026-10-27

Route	Threshold	Presence	USD equivalent
Physical presence	More than 183 days in the calendar year	183+ days	n/a
Real estate, any date	UI 15,000,000 updated tax cost	None	US$2,491,619
Real estate bought from 1 July 2020	UI 3,500,000 updated tax cost	At least 60 days	US$581,378
Company with promoted project (Ley 16.906)	UI 45,000,000	None	US$7,474,857
Company investment from 1 July 2020 with 15 new full time jobs	UI 15,000,000	None	US$2,491,619
Family presumption	Spouse and dependent minor children living in Uruguay	Rebuttable	n/a

Routes to Uruguayan tax residence for individuals (Decreto Nº 148/007 art. 5 BIS), at UI 6.6792 and UYU 40.21 per US dollar

Phase	Option	Condition
Arrival year plus 10	IRNR on foreign dividends, interest and related gains	Real estate above UI 12.5M from 1 Sep 2025, or UI 625,000 a year in qualifying funds, or 183+ days each year
Next 5 years (once)	IRPF at 50 percent of the rate on foreign capital income	Fund condition each year, or real estate above UI 6.25M
Up to 20 years (annual)	Fixed IRPF UI 1,875,000, or UI 1,250,000	UI 1.25M with 183+ days or a UI 45M capital contribution; spouse pays 15 percent

Impatriate regime options (T.O. 2023 Title 7 art. 24 BIS; Decreto Nº 148/007 art. 5 SEXIES and SEPTIES)

Worked example

A US entrepreneur buys a Punta del Este apartment for US$700,000 in March 2026 (about UYU 28,147,000, roughly UI 4,214,127, above UI 3.5 million) and spends 70 days a year in Uruguay. Under art. 5 BIS c) the DGI can certify them as tax resident; the certificate is free and requires a notarial certificate on the purchase and the DNM migration movements certificate. Because the apartment is below UI 12.5 million and they do not spend 183 days, they do not qualify for the art. 24 BIS impatriate election unless they also put at least UI 625,000 a year (about US$103,817) into qualifying funds; with that, foreign dividends and interest fall under IRNR and are not taxed in Uruguay through 2036. Their immigration status is separate: a US national can stay 90 plus 90 days as a visitor or apply for permanent residence on proof of means of living.

Step by step

1. Decide the target: migration residence (DNM), tax residence (DGI), or both; they are independent.
2. If using property, register the purchase and keep the notarial certificate with price, date, origin of funds and registry details.
3. Keep a day count and request the DNM certificate of migration movements at year end.
4. Register with the DGI (RUT) and file form 5202 online with the evidence for the chosen route.
5. If you became resident from 1 January 2026, file the art. 24 BIS election with the DGI on the terms it sets, and keep annual evidence of the fund or presence condition.
6. Each year, review whether the condition is still met; the ten year clock keeps running even in years you drop out.

Common traps

Confusing a Uruguayan identity card with tax residence: foreign tax authorities and banks ask for the DGI certificate.
Counting 30 day trips as absences: absences of up to 30 calendar days still count as days in Uruguay unless you hold a foreign tax residence certificate (Decreto 148/007 art. 5 BIS).
Using property bought before 1 September 2025 for the impatriate UI 12.5 million test: it does not count (Decreto 148/007 art. 5 SEXIES numeral 1).
Relying on the old art. 24, 5 QUATER or 5 QUINQUIES options: elections closed on 31 December 2025.
Interior urban property counts double for the impatriate real estate test, coastal property does not; check the department before buying.
Becoming tax resident in Uruguay while remaining tax resident elsewhere: dual residence is resolved only by a tax treaty where one exists; see the tax treaties page and, for Argentina, The Argentine Thread guide.

Sources

← Remote workers and digital nomads in Uruguay: the Provisional Identity Sheet, 180 plus 180 days, no BPS registration, and the tax residence lineAfter filing in Uruguay: the residence in process identity card, migration certificate, re entry permits, renewals and the DNM fee schedule →